Egyptian Prez Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offers condolences on death of Saudi King Abdullah

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi today expressed condolences over the death of King Abdullah, hailing him as a wise and prominent leader who made huge contributions to his nation.

"Egyptian people won't forget the historical contributions of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud towards Egypt. These contributions expressed his wiseness and deep faith in Arab solidarity," Sisi said in a statement issued early today.

Sisi has decided to cut short his visit to Davos in Switzerland to attend the royal funeral which is expected to take place today, an official source said.

He had been in Switzerland since Wednesday to participate in the World Economic Forum.

King Abdullah was a key financial supporter of Sisi's Egypt and an ally against Islamic extremism.

Abdullah was the first head of state to visit Cairo after Sisi's election win last May. The Egyptian leader in August last year reciprocated with a trip to the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks with Abdullah.